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Chinese New Year Greetings

Good wishes to you this Lunar New Year. Plus some impromptu bits at the end

 

p.s I know my dialect speaking skills are a little off, I'm trying to improve so I can communicate better with my grandparents!
(I'm a Teochew btw)

 

p.p.s

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Advertorial Feature

I love the challenge of being an entrepreneur. But it’s certainly no easy job, starting your own business from scratch.

I like to be involved in all aspects of my fashion retail store Lexi Lyla, and it keeps me perpetually busy. It’s all worth it though, seeing how much it has grown. Every day is a learning process to help me improve.

 

 

Keep your dreams alive. Understand to achieve anything requires faith and belief, vision, passion, hard work, determination and dedication.

In between all that – you deserve to reward yourself.
 
I do so with some silky smooth, creamy Dove Chocolates amidst the fashion-confusion.

Always have them around because they’re the perfect treat during breaks!

 

Enjoy your Me-Time Moments with Dove Chocolates.

 

New Year's In Japan < part.1 >

Nasu (Tochigi prefecture) is located at the foot of Mt. Chausu, the main peak of the Nasu mountains which still emit volcanic smoke. Just a 2 hr journey from Tokyo, it is a quiet resort area frequented by the Japanese Royal Family. Besides a host of vacationing tourist attractions, this area is also famous for its abundance of hot springs. Many writers such as haiku poet Matsuo Basho（1644-1694）have stayed at towns in Nasu.

I was a little reluctant to go there because I discovered it's proximity to.... FUKUSHIMA. I don't want come back with 12 toes or an extra nose!!!!

But I followed the rest there in the end..... and well, it was quite lovely.

Not sure whether the doctor will say that about my radiation levels now though.

(Be warned - rent a car or arrange hotel transport, because as notoriously expensive Japanese cabs go, our taxi fare from the train station to resort came up to slightly more than $100SGD)

Pine limbs touch pine limbs
Under the blanket of snow
Fox shivers alone

A traditional ryokan stay. I really enjoyed the novel sleeping-on-futons experience.

 

Onsens used to shared by both sexes (quite embarrassing, I wouldn't take the dip!) but when more foreign tourists started traveling to Japan, they became separated sections for men and women.

It's rare, but if you're lucky you may find a mixed-onsen, or private ones that can be booked - great for couples.

Take your own sweet time to relax and rejuvenate in the onsen, surrounded by nature.

How nice. My first time in a real onsen (actually I tried one when I was really young but I don't remember and it was indoors so it doesn't count )

The juxtaposition of icy chill while immersed in steaming hot spring water... was wonderfully surreal.

I sat there for a long time- body warm and face numbed, enjoying the calm, staring out into endless crisp white forests.
Collecting thoughts. Talking to my maker.
The other women had left. I had the whole place to myself.
The only sounds in the world were the gentle trickle of streams and rustling of leaves in the cold wind.

Snowing!   You can see the falling snow flakes all over my hair.

I got out  after half hour - 45 mins. Dashed back to the warm indoors.
Running around outdoors stark naked is admittedly rather funny. Put it on your bucket list.

All onsens have a shower area with stools where you're supposed to wash and rinse off, before and after.
They look something like this:

I had never been among so many naked women in my life, and never had I been butt naked in front of strangers too. Many ladies were older; it was interesting to see lots of of sagging boobies and rolling tyres of tummies. You know, compared to the perfectly nipped figures one gets used to in glossy magazines.

In case you're wondering, no I didn't stare, I tried not to be rude! I just took short quick glances... haha.

New Year Resolution: get my lazy butt to the gym.

Ryokans usually will include breakfast and dinner in their room rates.

Another night, we ventured out to look for some Wagyu beef!

FYI, the word Wagyu refers to all Japanese-bred beef cattle ('Wa' means Japanese or japanese-style and 'gyu' means cattle)

Sunset at 5pm.

We made our way to a quirky, vintage American-style restaurant called Mr. Beef.

Retro memorabilia decorate the cozy place, while old-school jazz and blues records play.

 

 

Local Nasu Wagyu steak! Incredibly juicy and delicious. MMMM.

Our local friend Emi's family owns a cattle farm in Nasu, so I joked that she should recognize this cow

Said bye bye to this...

....and hello glittering modern Tokyo.

View from hotel in the day:

Now you see it... now you don't! View at night:

 

Lazy day at friend's place.

Nice views from the balcony.

You can actually see the bridge and giant ferris wheel from here on a clear, sunny day.

I should be so lucky.... 3 boys cooking breakfast for me!

 

Of course, there is no lack of entertainment at night in Tokyo.

Now, if you're wondering what to do at 3a.m., there is a 24-hour Japanese chain store that is the epitome of Japanese weird and wacky, which you absolutely must check out.

Ironically, or true to it's zany image, it's name isn't even remotely Japanese - it's inspired by Spanish literature.

 

Don Quijote is something like our Mustafa shopping centre... a department store cum supermarket, it sells everything and anything.

Get ready to enter the Twilight Zone.
As a prelude to what you're in for, a floating Buddha welcomes you.

It's common knowledge Japanese love their costumes and cosplay, so here you'll find no lack of them.

If that's still not enough extra hair for you, try this:

 

LOL

Aww cutie pie adorable! I'd make my kid wear these

Fooling around with madcap sunglasses.

 

Girls don't get too excited. Shelves and shelves of colored circle lenses for sale.

The great thing is that they display all the samples in clear cases for you to view. However, the prices are much more expensive there I think.

Bizarre massage contraptions.

 

 

Food section is expansive, enough to do grocery shopping.

Please also check out my philanthropic work

On the 6th floor of Don Quijote, lies hidden treasures.....

It's the luxury goods level, where you can find branded bags, watches, wallets etc from designer labels. There is a pre-loved section, with tons of second-hand items and Hermes Birkins too. The prices for the these pieces were surprisingly quite good.

My theory is because Japan being one of the largest luxury markets in the world, there are so many branded things floating around everywhere that it pushes the resale value down.

Found a vintage lambskin Chanel 2.55 above which I bought! Manufactured in 1994 - 1996.

I like the unique vertical design as it's a bit more understated and less common than the quilt pattern.
I already have a few Chanel bags but this was quite the steal. Tax-free for tourists. And did I mention, vintage? So *ahem* I'm excused.

One friend told me, "Vintage Chanel should be passed down not bought!"  I agree, that's why this is an investment for my future daughters & granddaughters

 

The last supper. End meal of 2011.

An Izakaya in Shinjuku.

It's not easy finding places to eat during New Year's in Tokyo because it gets quiet, seems like half the population leaves town to go home to their families.

I really, really, really did not want to celebrate and countdown in a club, because partying is so cliche and tired, nothing very special.
I would have much rather seen fireworks at Disneyland or something.

But the path of least resistance led us to one nonetheless

After all the free flowing champagne and drinks, I must admit I ended up being pretty happy and having a lot of fun on the dance floor.

It got somewhat scary at one point though. Twice, two different groups of guys almost "kidnapped" me by pulling me away in the crowd. Shocked, how could Japanese guys be so aggressive? Thankfully my friend would always rescue me!

These guys, I'm okay with though. Who needs A&F now?

Boutique Updates

Gong Xi Fa Cai !

New dresses added
Get your perfect outfits ready for visiting and celebrations this weekend!

Same day shipping! 
*Special festive period delivery option: to do self-collection, please email admin@lexilyla.com after you have placed your order.

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Get pretty hair for CNY:

 

A Winter's Haiku

chill languishes life

scarves, hot tea shared. better the

grasp of lover's hand

 

Sitting in the Lobby of The Westin...

.... Looking forward to warm weather again!

And more Japan blog posts + photos coming your way soon

Lexi Lyla Runway Show

 

 

Keynesian economic thought. Brownian motion. The madness of Hamlet.
But they never taught me this in school.

How to put together a fashion show.

 

Did I ever think I'd have to do this someday?
Well, a young girl always dreams. Grand hopes and spectacular fantasies tucked away behind ingenue eyes.
Sometimes, they get lost in clever grown-up logic, fading away to a mere tiny flicker kept faintly alive by the beat of an inner child's heart;
and other times... you never know just when, in the smallest of ways, dreams do come true.

 

.... Not without some blood, sweat and tears though!

 

It was a great learning experience where I had to be personally hands-on in everything --
from putting together outfits, selecting the music soundtrack, fittings and rehearsals with models.... to dealing with absolute mad hectic chaos backstage where Murphy's law "anything that can go wrong will go wrong" is the rule of the day! Think shoes going missing and tons of other wardrobe malfunctions!

Crazy, but crazy good fun. Seeing everything go from conceptualization to fruition is immensely satisfying, and even more so when you know the work is to help a good cause.

Thank you to the amazing Pink Parlour team, for having a ♥ for charity and being all round awesome in organizing the whole event!
Thanks also to all other sponsors and everyone who turned up for making it a night to remember.

 
More photos below. (I actually had plenty more backstage pictures, but my camera got stolen later that night :X Furious!) 

Owner Wendi, me and ex-Miss Singapore Nura made a grand entrance riding on Vespas driven by hunky guys, haha.

 

 

Most pieces you see here are already available for sale. Some others will continue to be launched this month!

Shop online at http://www.lexilyla.com

Advertorial Feature

We primp our faces with facials, visit nail salons for manicure-pedicures, pamper our bodies with spa massages,

– but what about OUR HAIR?

Is our hair not deserving of the same caring treatment?

After all, we don’t call it one’s “crowning glory” for nothing. Many research has shown the term “bad hair days” came about for real good reason –
experiencing one of those awful days impacts self-esteem, performance and self-criticism… for both men and women!

Worried about my often-styled and often-colored hair, I decided to leave my precious tresses in the hands of specialists like TK TrichoKare.

Visited their Novena branch

An inviting waiting area. Small TK products hanging on the Christmas tree

They take hair seriously!

TK TrichoKare is a holistic hair and scalp care centre started by a certified trichologist.
They specialize in treating hair and scalp problems including hair loss, greasy scalp, dandruff and many more, with the use of premium European herbs such as Burdock, Horsetail, Sage, and Leopard’s Bane.
All of which are trichologist-validated of course.

It is the first ISO 9002 certified trichological centre in Singapore.

 

I was ushered into a private consultation room where I received a personalized scalp diagnosis and analysis.

This could be your worst nightmare…. the scanner that magnifies up to 200 times.

I am wonderstruck and mesmerized by the blown up follicles on screen. That’s my scalp, those are my hair strands looking like straggly seaweed!
The slight revulsion from the close-up anatomy of  “unhealthy hair” examples shown at the bottom is diminished by an almost perverse pleasure in staring at the amplified images of my own mane.

I couldn’t wait to hear what the consultant had to say.

 

She points out that my scalp has oil and buildup (the flaky white stuff) that is preventing new hairs from growing out thicker and stronger.

It confirmed my suspicions that my hair seemed to be becoming flatter and finer recently :X

I needed their help, pronto.

A customized treatment plan was then put together for me.

First, my hair is washed with cold water (brrrr!) because it calms the oil glands.

She shampoos my hair and I’m lying there enjoying the scalp massage. A mint shampoo with a nice, strong minty smell is supposed to help relax my scalp.

Next, I am seated in a hair-dressing salon type area.
They give me soft blankets and a HEATED, SCENTED shoulder pad to keep me warm and comfortable. It felt incredibly good!

Coupled with all the head massaging throughout, I was in spa bliss

The specialist proceeds to deep cleanse my hair section by section, making sure oil glands and roots are purified.
A warm tingly sensation sets in as the cleanser is left on for five minutes.

I go back to the wash area where she applies conditioner to my hair.

Rinse.

Dry.

My hair is now properly prepped to absorb the tonic!

Herbal Follicle Serum that is massaged in after the deep cleanser (right)

After I nearly nod off, I awake in time for moisturizer and anti-fizz lotions to be added to my poor hair dry from all the hot styling.

Now here comes the most interesting part....

No I’m not being abducted by aliens.

It's infra-red light to help blood circulation and promote hair growth!

Looks crazy but cool doesn’t it?

At the end of almost 2 hours, I am led back to the consult room for a post-treatment scan.

The results are obvious and rather startling.

 

Hair is smoother and detangled, scalp is less oily, build up is dramatically reduced. 

My pores are now more open and can breathe, making way for healthier new hair to grow.

 

If you want to improve your hair and scalp conditions, try TK TrichoKare.

It was a relaxing pampering experience for me, a worthwhile session that was both enjoyable and effective.
Stepping out, my hair never felt better!

 

*  S P E C I A L   P R O M O  * FOR MY READERS

 

Visit www.tk-hair.com/blogger  to receive:

-  Hair Loss Defense Treatment @ $59.99

-  Plus complimentary Delicate Kare Hair Bath worth $49

 

Hotline:
6-3388680

Outlets:
Wheelock Place
#05-09A

Novena Square
#03-19

Century Square
#04-08

Clementi Mall
#05-11/12

Opening Hours :
11am - 8pm
(Monday to Saturday)

11am - 4pm
(Sunday & Public Holidays)

 

Must-Watch Japanese Shows

The warmth of the ☼ in the cold. . .

I've been spending a lot of time here in Japan. It's been really fun gaining fresh insight, immersion and appreciation of their culture.

And here are some viewing pleasures I want to recommend. 私といっしょに来てください 

First up,
I watched a quirky and very enjoyable documentary on board my SQ flight a month ago.

The Invention of Dr. Nakamats

One of the most prolific inventors in the world, he is quintessentially eccentric but undeniably a genius. This guy is such a hoot! The floppy disk was his brain child, as so are karaoke (everyone write him a thank you note now), the taxi meter and many more. He has photographed and analyzed his meals for the past 30 years, and such a patriot is he that he sells his "Love Jet" spray below cost in a bid to boost Japan's ailing population. Oh and how does he get his bright ideas? Holding his breath in the swimming pool till a second before death, because that is when brain activity reaches a peak. After which he jots down whatever on an underwater notepad -- which he invented of course.

Preview here:

I think they are going to show it on Channel News Asia, if they haven't already.

 

Another mini documentary I found:

 

 

Next, I laughed my way through Detroit Metal City

Soichi Negishi is a sweet-natured farm boy who moved to Tokyo aspiring a "stylish" life and dreaming of stardom singing cheesy indie pop. Things don't quite work out the way he planned and instead he ends up earning his paycheck leading a death metal band Detroit Metal City, or DMC, as the hellish "demon emperor" Johannes Krauser II singing about rape and murder. Along with him are two other funny bandmates and a sadistic female manager. He despises his role and all it stands for, but his immense talent combined with his bitterness coming out to great effect in his Krauser persona inevitably leads DMC to worldwide success. To complicate things further is his preppy university crush Aikawa, who will surely disapprove if she finds out.  Adapted from the hit Japanese manga by Kiminori Wakasugi, the movie follows Negishi's hilariously woeful double-life, as he finally finds out what it really means to achieve his dream.

Such a cute movie and the parodies of the genre will crack you up

You can try watching here

When researching the lead Ken-ichi Masuyama out of curiosity, I was stunned to find out he is the same actor who played enigmatic L in Death Note and lead character Toru Watanabe in the film adaptation of Murakami's Norwegian Wood! He has such impressive range and looks different every time! I like.

Lastly, I met up with my friend and filmmaker Edmund Yeo here and he showed me some of his work.
Special private director's commentary to go along, haha.

A Malaysian based in Japan now, his beautiful and compelling short films have played at various international film festivals and won several awards. Admire his style, he is definitely a talent to follow.

 

 

さようなら！ x